I like that 4 wire board. Most of us using these ODE's (or equivalent) are just trying to make a broken drive system work with SD cards, so a minimal install is all we really need.
Im still hoping for a PSOne solution eventually. An actual drive replacement is in the works for that, so I hear.
So the PSIO install IS mostly soldering to points, but you do have to delicately expose a couple tiny via access points without damaging them (as green coats the copper). And you better have some flux to apply, because you basically get one shot for that (and the guide doesn't show any alternative points).
The other scraping I think is just for a ground point (and there is lots of room for that, at least on the board revision I have).
I will get to my Xstation install too. I'll just up and do it when I'm feeling adventurous/reckless one day (an exacto knife gets in there well enough for the leg lifting). But I think a couple other systems will take priority before that (SD NeoGeo CD and MODE Dreamcast setups for starters).
Oh, and if anyone hears of a PS1/Saturn/Dreamcast MODE all-in-one setup in a custom formed case, I want to know about it.
I know I'm dreaming, but I'd pay good money for such a beastly conglomeration.